Control apparatus for signaling apparatus



Feb. 3, 1942. o ow Tz 2,272,050 v CONTROL APPARATUS FOR SIGNALING APPARATUS Filed June 19, 1940 IIIHH lllllllllll Illlllllllll 'IIIHIIHI INVENTOR nzgxmon: HOROW/TZ ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 3, 1942 UNITED CONTROL APPARATUS FOR SIGNALING APPARATUS Alexandre Horowitz, Eindhoven, Netherlands, assignor to- Radio Corporation of America, a corporation of Delaware Application June 19, 1940, Serial No. 341,282 In the Netherlands May 20, 1939 3 Claims.

This invention relates to a wireless receiver in which one or more switch assemblies for performing more than two switching operations can be operated by means of push buttons or a motor.

The operation of wireless receivers adapted to be tuned to a number of preselected stations by means of push buttons involves complications if, when passing to another station, the wave range and/or the band width of the receiver concerned has to be changed. Such a change may be effected by hand. If, however, the changes to be accomplished were performed automatically this would not only introduce an easier and simpler operation but also the advantage of reduced probability of faults or errors.

Such an automatic change can be established by also driving the wave length switch and/or the band width or selectivity switch by the push buttons provided for the station selection. For two switching positions such a task can readily be performed but if more than two switching operations have to be effected various difficulties arise. A switch for performing a plurality of switching operations such as changing over to three or more diiierent wave ranges or changing over to more than two diii erent band widths has three or more switching positions. Each switching step requires about the same amount of switching work so that various push buttons which correspond to different switching positions, on passing through one or more switching steps from one switching position into the other, require different amounts of switching work and since the stroke length is identical for all push buttons they require different driving forces. Apart from this the mechanical construction becomes involved. When the switches are driven by a motor this difficulty is particularly prevalent because the switching time periods are now different.

Similar difficulties also arise if the wave length and/or band width switch of a receiver without push button tuning are desired to be operated by means of push buttons.

According to the invention, to avoid the above mentioned difficulties each switch assembly is constructed of two or more electrically connected switches which have fewer switching positions than there are switching operations and which, if necessary, are operated by the push buttons or by the motor.

In one embodiment of the invention one or more of the switch assemblies are built up from three switches each comprising a switch lever which, in two switching positions, alternately makes contact with two stationary contacts, each of the stationary contacts of one of these switches having connected to it the switch lever of another of these switches, the stationary contacts of the latter switches being connected respeotively to four impedances to be connected into circuit.

In this the expression switch lever is to be understood to mean a contact arranged on a rotor.

As an alternative, one or more of the switch assemblies may be built up from two or more switches each comprising a switch lever which, in two switching positions, alternately makes contact with two stationary contacts, the switch levers of all switches being through-connected and the stationary contacts of these switches having a number of impedances to be connected into circuit connected to them respectively.

The two switch levers which are connected to the stationary contacts of the switch are preferably ganged.

If the wireless receiver can be tuned to a number of preselected stations by means of push P buttons it is preferable that the operation of the switch assemblies should be effected automatically in the process of tuning to a station by means of a push button.

In addition, push buttons for the separate operation of the switch assemblies may be provided in this case.

In the mechanical construction driven by a centrally journalled lever having two positions corresponding to the switching positions, said lever being moved, if necessary, into one of the said two positions, in some cases via a mechanical transmitting system, by respectively one of the ends being driven in one direction by means of a push button which carries a stop associated with each lever and which can be previously moved into one of the positions to which the drive for the two lever ends corresponds.

The mechanical transmitting system associated with each lever may be constituted in this case by two swings coupled respectively to the ends of the lever and extending along all the push buttons.

In a further embodiment of the invention the operation of each switch or each set of ganged switches may be effected by means of a motor and a coupling, associated with the switch or set concerned, to the motor, said couplings being operated, if necessary, by the push buttons.

In order that the invention may be clearly understood and readily carried into effect it will now be set out more fully with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 shows a switch assembly according to the invention in conjunction with an oscillatory circuit which can be tuned to a number of preselected stations by means of push buttons and if necessary, also be changed over to the wave ranges in which the stations concerned are located, only one of these push buttons being shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 2 shows a further embodiment of the invention.

Referring to the drawing, I designates a push button in the depressed position, said push button being secured to a plate 3 by means of a rod 2. A sliding electrode condenser 4 can be moved into a predetermined position by means of a screw 5 adjustably mounted in the plate 3, said position corresponding to the station to be received.

In addition, plate 3 has formed in it four apertures 6, I, 8 and 9 in which set screws can be screwed. Set screws I and II are shown inserted in the apertures 6 and 9. The apertures 6, I and 8, 9 have arranged between them levers I2 and I3 respectively which are journalled at the center. Upon depression of the push button I levers I2 and I3 are moved by the screws Ill and II respectively into the positions shown. These positions depend on the apertures in which the set screws I0 and II are inserted since the screws can be screwed in the apertures 6, 8 or 6, 9 or I, 8 or I, 9 and thus different combinations of the positions of the levers l2 and I3 are possible.

The lever I2 is ganged to switches I4 and I and the lever I3 to a switch I6. The switch lever of the switch I6 is united with one of the electrodes of the sliding electrode condenser 4 and can alternately make contact with two stationary contacts I1 and I8. The stationary contacts I1 and I8 have the switch levers of the switches I4 and I5 respectively connected to them. These switch levers can alternately make contact respectively with the stationary contacts I9, and 2!, 22. The stationary contacts I9, 2|, 2|] and 22' and the other electrode of the sliding electrode condenser 4 have respectively connected between them inductance coils 23, 24, 25 and 26.

By moving the switches, by means of the levers I2 and I3, into one of the four above-mentioned positions it is possible to connect one of the inductances 23, 24, 25 or 26 in parallel with the sliding electrode condenser 4 so as to permit of tuning to the long wave band, the medium wave band or to one of the two short wave bands.

Only one push button is shown in the drawing but the switches I4, I5 and I6 have also to be capable of being operated by other push buttons. For this purpose, for example, the shafts on which the levers I2 and I3 are seated may have mounted on them a number of levers (not shown) cooperating with the push buttons (not shown either) in parallel with the levers I2 and I3.

If the change of the wave length range is effected by means of a motor the construction according to the invention oiiers the advantage of reducing the average switching time period.

Apart from being applied to wave length switching the invention can also be employed for the automatic change of the band width of the receiver.

Fig. 2 shows two centrally journaled levers 32 and 33 which are similar to and are operated in the same manner as the levers I2 and I3 of Fig. 1. These levers 32 and 33 operate respectively two switches 34 and 35 the switch levers of which are interconnected and connected to one of the electrodes of a variable tuning condenser 38. This condenser may be, for example, a sliding electrode condenser operated by push buttons.

The stationary contacts 31, 38, 39, of the two switches 34 and 35 and the other electrode of the condenser 36 have respectively connected between them inductances 4|, 42, 43 and 44.

In each of the four combinations of the positions of the switches two of the coils 4|, 42, 43 and 44 are connected in parallel so that four difierent inductances can be built up.

I claim:

1. In radio signaling apparatus having adjustable tuning means and a plurality of operable pre-settable means each acting upon operation to effect the adjustment of said adjustable tuning means to any one of a plurality of different positions, an operable switching instrumentality, said switching instrumentality having more than two contacting positions, means acting upon operation of one of said presettable means for operating said switching instrumentality to select two of said contacting positions and means also acting upon operation of said pre-settable means for selecting one of said two selected positions.

2. In timable radio signaling apparatus a resonant circuit including a variable tuning element and a pluralit greater than two of associated tuning elements, a push button tuning instrumentality for operating said variable element, means for connecting any one of said associated tuning elements to said variable element, said last named means including an operable switching device acting upon operation of said push button tuning instrumentality for selecting two of said associated tuning elements for possible connection thereof to said variable tuning element and an operable switching device acting upon operation of said push button tuning instrumentality for connecting only one of the two selected tuning elements to the variable element.

3. In a radio receiving set including an adjustable tuning element, a plurality greater than two of associated tuning elements each thereof being adapted to be connected to said tuning element to form a resonant circuit therewith, a push button tuning instrumentality for operating said variable tuning element, adjustable means acting upon operation of one of the push buttons of said tuning instrumentality for selecting in accordance with the adjustment thereof two of said associated tuning elements for possible connection to said adjustable tuning element, and additional adjustable means also acting upon operation of said push button for selecting in accordance with its adjustment which one of the two selected associated tuning elements is actually connected to said adjustable tuning element.

ALEXANDRE HOROWITZ. 

